Some warehouse stockpiles have been abandoned as prices for premium Puer tea plummet to lowest levels since 2019
Aromatic infusions of fermented and aged Puer tea have been popular in China for centuries, but later generations of enthusiasts came to value its investment potential even more, dubbing it a “drinkable antique”.
Chinese entrepreneurs and members of the country’s growing middle class long regarded the tea, produced in Yunnan province, as a wealth preservation investment rivalling stocks and real estate, but the market has come off the boil recently as the economy slows and investor appetite wanes.
The Puer tea market has been much more volatile this year, with prices for most premium products – once treated as hard currency by speculators and collectors – plummeting to their lowest levels since 2019.
Despite wide variations across brands and vintages, the prices of nearly all Puer teas have fallen.
